My Lady Miko
by foureyedbookworm
Summary: Discontinued. It has been predicted that Kagome will rid the world of demons with her miko powers; she has been taught to hate them all her life. But when she meets a stranger who is neither entirely man nor demon, but half of each, what will she do?
1. Recollections of the Past

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, or any of the other copyrighted characters that are present in this fanfic. Much as I hate to admit it, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But the plot (or what little plot there is in here), is a creation of my own imagination, and belongs solely to me.

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Summary: Kagome, the supposed and heralded "savior" of the human race, has been taught her entire life to hate demons, that they were evil and meant to be destroyed. The Prophecy has predicted that she is the pure and powerful miko (Japanese priestess), the Holy One, who will save the humans by ridding the world of all demons, monsters, and evil sprites with her purifying powers. But what will Kagome do when she meets a strange young man who is neither entirely man nor demon, but half of each? Will she be ultimately forced to destroy the hanyou Inuyasha, or will her strong heritage and natural miko instinct allow her to spare him because of his human blood? Her situation becomes even more complicated as the sixteen-year-old girl finds herself slowly falling in love with him, with each day that passes by in his company…

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

Chapter 1- _Recollections of the Past_

"My Lady, your meal is here!" A voice called out from outside Kagome's window. A young girl with raven-black hair turned around and sighed, exasperated.

" Really, Hojo, this is the fiftieth or so time that I've had to tell you, just call me Kagome!" She scolded half-heartedly as she walked over and took a large picnic basket from someone's hands.

"Oh, terribly sorry my Lady!" A slightly fearful face suddenly appeared at the window, and the person repeated again, "I'm terribly sorry, I forgot again. Please, I humbly beg you, my Lady, to accept my apologies for offending you! I swear I won't do it again, my Lady!"

The young girl frowned, then sighed again, "You're doing it again, right this minute! Oh well, it's all right. Just stop treating me like a hime or whatever. I just want to be an ordinary girl." She waved her hand carelessly at the young man whose handsome, yet strangely unintelligent face was at her window, "You can leave now, Hojo. I don't need anything else for today." Hojo bowed, accidentally scraping his brown, curly-haired head against the top of the window frame before slowly floating downward at disappearing.

"Enjoy your lunch, my la-I mean, Kagome!" A faint voice was heard from outside. 

"Ouch!" Kagome looked out the window, and down below, she smiled faintly as she watched her servant rub his ankle briefly, having just clumsily tripped over a small rock in his path. 

Turning back, she lifted the red and white-checkered cloth from the top of the basket as she mused, "Well, I wonder what my meal is today?" She peeked over the edge of the straw and grass-woven basket, smiling appreciatively at the whiff of sweet grass that she smelled, as well as the warm, tantalizing aroma of Oden and chicken teriyaki that drifted past her nose. "Oooh! Yum! Oden!" Her eyes sparkled happily at the thought of having her favorite food for lunch. Kagome only had a to walk few steps across the room to reach the other side. She quickly took out a series of covered plates from inside the basket and placed them on top of her polished cherry wood table. The steam that rose up from the uncovered dishes informed her that they had just been freshly prepared and brought up to her room as speedily as possible. The clean plates were made of the whitest, purest china, and the silverware was polished as brightly as a crystal mirror. She sighed. This pampered life that she led was fit for a princess, or an esteemed, high-class, noblewoman; it certainly didn't suit the former daughter of a small village cloth merchant.

Her blue eyes perused the room, pausing as she glanced upon her rich, elegant furniture, all made of the most expensive materials possible, and decorated with exquisite taste and style. The soft, warm, blanket and quilts with intricate designs patterned on them, differed so greatly from the ragged, patched, thin sheets of her old home. The comfortable, cozy chairs and polished wooden furniture was a stark contrast to the rough, splintery wooden chairs and tables of her previous house. How exactly had she been brought here? It had all happened so long ago that it seemed to have been a recent dream; a story that she had read long ago and no longer remembered. Kagome's eyes darkened slightly as she recalled her old life of cold and misery, and how she was suddenly, and without warning, picked up and dropped into this new one of comforts and riches.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Flashback~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Otou-chan! You're home!" A young, jubilant child in a faded, yellow dress ran out of the door and leapt joyfully into the awaiting arms of her father. The eight-year-old girl was immediately picked up and swung high, shrieking in delight, as she was spun around and around in circles until the dusky sky above her seemed to be spinning.

"Well, well, my little Kagome, how was your day? Did you stay out of trouble and act like a good girl?" A deep, cheerful voice asked as the storekeeper sat down on the ground and pulled his daughter into his lap.

"Yep!" The young girl nodded emphatically. "I waited all day for you to come home, n' I didn't do anything naughty, and I was a very good girl." She smiled sweetly up at the amused man with the short black beard, who chuckled.

"That's my little angel. Now, let me go get supper ready." Kagome's father tousled her tangled black hair affectionately, and got up, setting his daughter upon the dusty ground gently. Before he could walk towards the house, however, Kagome tugged urgently on his large hand. He turned back around and looked at her inquiringly.

"Today a message came from a rider on horseback. He was wearing lots of silk robes an' looked really important, so I went out to greet him. He asked if you were home, but I told him that you weren't because you were working down in town at the store. So he gave me this really pretty scroll with a very pretty sakura blossom seal stamped on it with red ink and tied with a pretty blue and gold ribbon; said I should give it to you when you came back. I didn't open it, but I was wondering if I could have the ribbon to tie my hair with because my other green one got torn the other day, while I was playing Tag with Souta?" Kagome looked up at her father, whose frown had gotten deeper and deeper with each passing word. 

"Wait, Kagome, you said that the messenger's scroll had a sakura blosson seal on it?" The girl nodded confusedly. 

"Why? Is something wrong, Papa?" The girl asked worriedly. Her father shook his head slowly, his brows drawn together.

He asked slowly, "Think carefully, Kagome. Was there anything else on the scroll that you noticed as particular? Any special symbols on the outside?" 

The child opened her mouth, took a breath, as if to speak, then stopped upon seeing her father's head bend closer towards her, an intent yet apprehensive look in his eyes. 

"Go on, dear."

Kagome furrowed her eyebrows in concentration, then said slowly, "Well, the outside of the scroll also had little silver swirls on them, which were kinda shaped like leaves. Oh, yes, and there was a golden dragon there, too-" Before she could get any further, Kagome's father started and abruptly whirled around, running into the house. 

He came back out, a moment later, with the scroll in his hand. He started reading it aloud for Kagome's benefit. The message said in a beautiful, curling script:

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"By the order of his royal majesty, the esteemed Emperor Tomihatsu Shirakawa, anyone who bears a strawberry-colored birthmark that is shaped like a circle on his or her left hip must immediately report to the palace physician to be physically examined. Whosoever fails to do so shall suffer the full wrath of His Majesty and must be prepared to face the consequences." 

Young Kagome looked scared when her father had finished. She stammered, "B-but, I _do_ have a birthmark on my hip!"

And that was how it all started. The young girl was brought to the capital and presented to the palace physician, to be personally examined (or more specifically, poked and prodded relentlessly) by the stern, gray-haired doctor. Once all the courtiers found out that she had been born with a small, round, pinkish jewel in her body, which had been violently coughed out when she was three, they started muttering and whispering darkly to each other. And when Kagome was unwillingly led into the throne room to meet Her Exalted High-Mother Empress, her eyes and fingertips started glowing eerily when the frightened young girl touched the wrinkled hands of the emperor's mother, who was incidentally a miko herself. Then, everyone was quite sure that this girl was the one whose arrival the Prophecy had long foretold. 

So it was, that at the tender age of eight, the young girl was dragged away from her family and friends, and torn from the only life she had ever known. Without even completely comprehending the reason -for no one had bothered to explain it to the little girl- Kagome was almost forcibly brought to the wide, stone tower where she resided now. It had a single entrance at the very bottom, but that was locked, and the long winding staircase inside the tower led up to another door, which had been locked for so long that it was practically rusty from disuse. Kagome was literally imprisoned inside her room. She had not stepped foot outside the tower's grounds since she had entered, for her food and other needs were brought by Hojo, and her education tended to by strict, long bearded, old tutors who rambled on and on about philosophical matters and deep theories of life. 

Of course, it was not to be assumed that Kagome was mistreated here. She was provided with the best food, clothes, bedding, furniture, books, and other amusements. Her living quarters were small and cozy, but clean. She had a bedroom, and living room, a bathroom, and a small kitchen, in case she ever wanted to experiment with the culinary arts herself. She was never bored, for there were always new things that Hojo brought up for her to fiddle and play with. Altogether, it was quite a comfortable life. She often longed for fresh air and a glimpse of the world beyond the range of the forest that surrounded the tower, but she had no choice but to content herself with pictures and paintings of the world around her. 

And so the years passed, and the eight-year-old girl grew, and thrived under the healthy conditions in which she lived. Her lean, thin body filled out into a pleasing, shapely slender figure, which was both graceful and athletic. (She had a special room to practice archery in, which she used to her full advantage by running, jumping, and shouting around in it when the pressures of being a proper, well-behaved lady became too much to handle.) Her dirty, straggly hair grew long, thick, shiny, and luxuriously soft. Her skin shone softly with healthy, vibrant beauty, and her long slender limbs knew just how to fold in the proper way as to seem graceful, not awkward. Kagome was also very well educated, as sheltered a life as she lived. She knew everything that an ordinary teenaged girl of her time should have known, and more. Besides her regular education, an old, wise priestess named Lady Kaede came about once a week to teach her about properly using her miko powers, though the young girl never actively tried to use them. 

Little did she know that the time was fast approaching when she would be called upon to fulfill the words of the prophecy that had changed her life so drastically more than seven years ago.

Author's Note: Hi minna-san! I started a new fic, because it seemed to me that my other one was starting to wander along the lines of having no plot whatsoever. Hope this one is as interesting to you guys as my other two were! I hope you enjoyed reading it! See ya next time, when I post another chapter! Ja ne! 


	2. Blue Eyes

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Rumiko Takahashi does. ::turns green with envy:: Ahhh…welll...actually, technically, Inu-chan doesn't belong to either of us. He belongs to Kagome. So ha! ::sticks her tongue out at the lawyers::

Author's Note: Hi!!!!! I'm back with a vengeance! Right now, I'm supposed to be working on a World Civ. research paper, but that can wait…let me procrastinate a bit longer while I please my wonderful fans… ::looks around at the empty room:: Or not. ::sweatdrop:: Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And, no, this is not related to Rosefire's story, Two Faced, much as I admire her writing!

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

Chapter 2

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He was sinking; drowning. Gasping for breath as he floundered helplessly in a sea of blue. He waved his arms frantically, trying to swim upward, but found he was now frozen, as well, unable to move an inch as the water fiddled gently with his long white hair, like a cat playing with its victim before making the mouse its next meal. But now, instead of panicking, he felt sleepy…strangely comfortable and at peace. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with just staring at the dusky cerulean as he waited patiently for death. Blue…blue…he was drowning in a sea of blue…The strange color of the seawater made him startle into consciousness. Wait. Since when was the ocean this blue? Right before blackness claimed him, one thought made its way into his mind: The blue wasn't the color of the ocean; it was the color of someone's eyes…

Inuyasha's eyes snapped open. Blue? Blue eyes? That was all he remembered from the abrupt dream that he had experienced before awaking this morning. It was the fifth time this month that he had dreamt about something regarding blue. Last time, it had been fire; being burnt in flames of blue fire; before he realized that the flame was cold and soothing; meaning that he wasn't getting scorched to death, and he had woken up just as suddenly as this time. Shaking the last vestiges of his dream from his head, he gave a huge, wide yawn before stretching lazily. Rubbing drowsily at his eyes, Inuyasha pushed away the feather-down comforter and clambered out of bed. But as soon as his bare feet touched the icy, hard floor, he gave a startled yelp, and hopped back into his bed, muttering angrily.

"Kuso! Why is the stupid floor always so cold every morning! Grrrr…I wish I could just stay in bed…" But before he could begin to carry out his preference, there came a soft knock at his door. Inuyasha hollered, "Yeah, what do you want?"

An old, crackled voice spoke nervously from the other side of the door, "I-I beg your pardon, Young Master, but My Lord Master Sesshoumaru requires your presence at the breakfast table immediately. You are to dress appropriately and come down as soon as possible." That was all. Inuyasha's sharp ears could pick up the sound of someone's feet padding away quickly, back through the hall and down the stairs.

Inuyasha growled angrily. Who did his brother think he was? Ordering him around like that? He pondered whether or not to go downstairs. He often enjoyed disobeying his commands just for the fun of seeing a hint of anger on his brother's usually stoic face. But, since he knew that his brother had a bad-temper in the morning, he decided not to risk his wrath for once and just go downstairs. Besides, whatever Sesshoumaru had to tell him, it was probably important, since he usually never talked to him at breakfast otherwise.

Sighing with a tinge of annoyance, he once again got out of bed and tugged on a pair of red pants and a matching red shirt. Red was his favorite color, though even he himself had no idea why, and he owned a whole closetful of red outfits that he alternately wore each day. Inuyasha stood before the large, oval-shaped mirror in his room. Yanking his fingers hurriedly through the messy mass of silver-white hair on his head, he growled in frustration when the sharp claws on his fingertips got caught in the tangles. Then he yelped when he accidentally pricked his own furry white ears, which lay on top of his head, when trying to smooth out the tangles in his messy hair. Growling, he cursed himself for ever deciding to grow his hair long. Why bother with keeping a family tradition if it meant so much trouble every morning? Even if both his late father and his sophisticated older brother had a long mane of silver white, Inuyasha was considering cutting it just to save himself the trouble of grooming it. After finally managing to create some semblance of order with it, he stalked out the door, slamming it angrily against the hinges before striding down the hallway with a decidedly unwelcome scowl on his face.

Making his way through the rooms, he found his older brother placidly drinking a cup of tea while sitting at a small table in the sunroom. They may have shared the family trait of having long, lustrous, silvery hair, but there the physical resemblance ended. While Inuyasha's ears lay on top of his head, his brother's were at the side of his face, looking exactly like a normal human's ears except that they were slightly pointed at the tips, like an elf's. Also, since Sesshoumaru was a full-blooded demon, he sported a dark moon crescent on his forehead and several red stripes on his cheeks. They gave him a very dangerous look, and, combined with narrow, red eyes, they made him seem much more frightening that he really was. (That's not to say that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with, either.) Sesshoumaru glanced up as Inuyasha walked in. Giving him a cursory once-over, and seeming to register mild approval of his appearance, he drawled, "So, has lazy-bones finally decided to honor us with his company? How many cups of cold water did it take to get you out of bed, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha scowled even more at his brother's teasing, and snapped bluntly, "Cut the crap, Sesshoumaru. What do you want?" It was obvious that his older sibling wanted something from him, for those were the only times that the two ever maintained any semblance of civil communication between them.

"My, my, someone got up off the wrong side of the bed this morning, ne?" Sesshoumaru sneered. Inuyasha growled at him, but didn't deign to reply. The silver-haired man continued, unperturbed, "I just received some interesting news late last night. It appears that the location of the priestess that is mentioned in the Prophecy has finally been found. One of my spies is currently tracking her movements, just in case she goes anywhere." 

Inuyasha's golden, amber-colored eyes widened. He knew of whom Sesshoumaru was talking about. The girl-child who was supposed to have appeared out of nowhere about eight years ago, and whom everyone had made a big fuss about because she was described in the Mirin Prophecy. All the demons had been terribly frightened when they had heard about her, since she was supposed to have the power to kill all the demons in the world. Hence, they had spent years searching for her abode, searching for that secret place where she had been sheltered from the hungry eyes of the world. Inuyasha himself had only been about nine when she first appeared, but he distinctly remembered it as one of the only times that his brother had looked seriously alarmed.

"Are you serious?!?" He exploded, using a voice that would have woken half the household, if they weren't awake already.

"Yes. This is a very critical situation that we are now faced with," Sesshoumaru replied in a grave voice. "We need to find a way to infiltrate her residence and deal with her before it is too late. She lives in a very tall tower located at the northern edge of the Fushimi District. One of my people have already tried to enter-" He paused dramatically, for effect.

"Well, what happened?" Inuyasha demanded impatiently. He was trying to pretend as if whatever his brother was saying didn't concern him, but he was actually very interested in the outcome of the long conflict between the demons and this anonymous girl, an ongoing war between two forces.

"Hn. You didn't actually think that they would just allow her to live there, unprotected like that, did you? There were a countless number of seals surrounding the door and the single window of the tower. The sorry, blundering fool who rashly tried to climb through the window was immediately incinerated by the power of the seals, and died a silent, painful death."

Inuyasha winced slightly upon hearing about the unfortunate demise of the demon who had tried to enter the tower, but didn't comment. He still didn't know why his brother had called him down to tell him this. Yes, the fate of the girl affected him, since he was half-demon too, and would probably likewise be destroyed by her powers, once they had been fully awakened. But for some reason, Inuyasha had never bothered with the political matters that his brother was so deeply involved in, and regardless of the fact that he had just been given a cause to worry, he wasn't overly concerned about his life.

"So, we need someone who is resistant to the anti-demonic charms and yet still loyal to our cause, to penetrate the tower. I was-" Sesshoumaru broke off. He narrowed his eyes and frowned at his younger half-brother, who was doing anything but paying attention to what he was now saying. He sighed. The task that he had to been set upon do was grating on his nerves, since it was something that he never thought he would have to do. And yet, if he didn't ask Inuyasha, the S.P.D.W. (Society for Promoting Demonic Welfare) committee members would undoubtedly be quite put out with him. So, sighing with resignation, and trying to push his pride down, he said in an expressionless tone of voice, "Inuyasha."

The hanyou seemed lost in his own thoughts. Either that or he was purposely ignoring him in an effort to infuriate him again. "Inuyasha!" He called again, louder this time, with a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"What?" the young man responded casually.

Sesshoumaru sighed again. It would have been so much easier if he could just pound some sense into his little brother's brain and force him to do what he wanted, but the S.P.D.W. board wouldn't have been happy if he had _unintentionally_ injured the only person that…

"Listen, Inuyasha. I know that you and I have not been on the best of terms lately, and that you would much rather do jump off a bridge than do anything to help me, and let me assure you, the feeling is mutual. But-" -here the older demon gritted his teeth- "I-I need to ask a favor of you, Inuyasha."

There was a loud crash of furniture and an audible thump as the shocked hanyou tipped over his chair and fell against the ground. He didn't even move to get up as he lay, startled out of his wits, upon the floor. What?!? Sesshoumaru was actually asking for a favor?!?! From _him_? The world must have come to an end! He lay on his side and stared blankly up at his older brother, stunned. The full-youkai's right temple twitched, and he glared, irritated, at Inuyasha. "What? It's not like what I'm doing is a crime or anything, you know! I mean, is it so rare and unusual to ask your own brother for a favor?"

Inuyasha continued to stare unblinkingly at his brother. Sesshoumaru shouted into his twitching white, furry ears, "Helloooo? Is anybody home in there?" And knocked his knuckles hard on the hanyou's head, as if checking to make sure his brains were still there. Inuyasha finally shook himself out of his shock and rubbed his head. He grinned widely, white fangs gleaming in the sunlight.

"I'm shocked. My own, dear, independent, I-can-take-care-of-myself brother wants to ask a favor of me? You've got to be kidding! You'll have to excuse me, brother, while I go sit down in a corner and laugh my head off."

Sesshoumaru tried to keep his face blank and expressionless, but ended up growling at Inuyasha anyway. "It's not a joke, Inuyasha. I need you to do something for me."

The ecstatic young man sensed the desperation behind his brother's voice, and he grinned even wider. "Well, since you're such a wonderful, caring brother and I love you so much…" his voice laced with sarcasm, "I'll do it for you. But," he said, raising his voice as Sesshoumaru lent out a pent-up breath, "You'll have to get down on your knees and beg me for it."

The full-youkai wanted nothing more at that moment than to rip his throat out, but he clenched his jaws and hunkered down onto the floor, lowering his head in a position of abject humility. The way Inuyasha's laugh rang in his burning red ears wasn't doing anything to help patch up his dignity, which was currently shattering into shards as he spoke.

"Please, I beg of you, Inuyasha, please do this favor for me. I promise that I will forever be in your debt if you fulfill my one request." He said stiffly, bowing low to the ground. Inuyasha cracked up even more upon seeing the way his long white hair was spread all around him on the ground, but he managed to get out between trembling gasps of laughter, "Fine. Fine. I'll do it. But you owe me something now." He took several deep breaths and forced himself to stop laughing as Sesshoumaru got up and brushed the imaginary dust off his spotless kimono. It took a lot of effort to meet his eyes again after all that laughing, but Inuyasha succeeded, barely, in keeping a semi-straight face at he looked at him.

"Hai, hai." Sesshoumaru waved his hand carelessly, trying to revert back to his previous unruffled state of mind now that Inuyasha had agreed. "I'll owe you once you do what I ask. Big time. Maybe I'll even consider asking the members of S.P.D.W to allow you to become a full-demon if you perform this task without flaws. Of course, given your current brainpower, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't able to do what I asked of you in a thousand years." He sneered elegantly.

"I'll be able to do whatever you want me to do, and faster and better than any of the fools on your stupid board could do it, too!" Inuyasha shot back angrily, his ire up.

"Oh yeah? You think you can do better than the trained _full_ Youkai that I have under my command?"

"Yeah! I'll take on whatever challenge you set for me! Bring it on, Fluffy!"

Sesshoumaru's vein twitched again at the mention of the long-disused nickname that he hated. Ignoring the intended insult, he intoned dramatically, "Your task, Inuyasha, will not be very simple. However, you are the only one that can fulfill this mission. I-"

"Oh, stop trying to glorify it, Sesshoumaru. Just get to the point! What do I have to do to prove that I'm just as good as a full-demon?"

He watched as his half-brother's turned an eerie blood-red color. Sesshoumaru spoke in a deep voice, not quite like his own, "The victim's name is Kagome Higurashi. The girl must not be allowed to fulfill the Prophecy. You, Inuyasha, will kill her." 

Oooohh…Dun-dun dun! ^_^ Hope you liked it! Please review!

Review Responses for Last Chapter (I only got four! L So sad…)

totally wicked – Yep! ^_^ You're my first reviewer! Congrats! I'll read your story when I have a chance! *Glares at imaginary teachers…* 

ScratchesTheCat – Thanks for letting me know that there was a story like mine out there! I do like Rosefire's stories though…I just read "Two Faced"…it's really good! But no, I didn't try to copy her idea…Thanks for giving me the benefit of the doubt! I wasn't trying to plagiarize! Glad you like mine, too!

Rereissocute – Hi! Thanks for reviewing! I will write more, I promise!

Aneres G. Galaxy – I reviewed your story…and I'm glad you find my fanfic interesting! Keep reading and reviewing! Ja ne!


	3. Climbing the Tower

Disclaimer: Ummm…nope, don't own Inuyasha or co. Never have, never will. ::sob::

Author's Note: L Only 10 reviews?? So sad…oh well! I enjoyed writing this anyway! Hope you guys all like it too! Happy Holidays! (And yes, I will write more chapters of this, and my other on-going fic, during winter break!) ::Everyone cheers::

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

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Chapter 3

The sun had already turned orange, and half of it was fast disappearing behind the mountains, when Inuyasha reached the edge of the forest that surrounded the tower. He was dressed in his usual outfit of red haori and hakama, which were now slightly dirty after he had torn through the underbrush and crawled through the mud in his hurry to get there before evening. He didn't want to be trapped in the middle of the forest when darkness came, especially not since tonight was a new moon. Even though he had traveled as fast as he could, (and his brother's topography experts had calculated precisely how much time it would take to get there) Inuyasha had forgotten to take into account the fact that he would be traveling slower than usual. As his demon powers gradually ebbed away with the setting of the sun, each mile that he ran seemed to take longer to complete. When he finally pushed his way through the last stretch of bushes and tree branches, he was panting lightly. Inuyasha looked up at the grey, stone tower that stood impressively in the center of a wide space of grass. There were a few other houses and buildings dotted around it, but the tall, narrow structure seemed to dwarf the other constructions in both size and fortification.

About fifty feet tall, the tower was obviously built with sturdy, strong blocks of stone, cement, and other fireproof materials. Inuyasha could tell, even from his hiding place, that it was built to be strong and defensive, and definitely couldn't be destroyed by any ordinary means. His eyes glimmered like liquid pools of gold as he stared up at the single window of the tower, which happened to be facing towards him. His golden eyes always shone the most on the day he was to turn human. Right now, they glittered and glistened as he contemplated what he had to do. Once it was dark, he would climb up the sheer surface of the tower and sneak through the window. Since he would be human by then, the demon wards would probably have no effect upon him. Then, once inside, he would have to wait until the sun rose again, and he had regained his demonic powers, before being able to kill the girl. 

Inuyasha shuddered involuntarily as he recalled his brother's casual words: "Suffocation would be the best method. No blood, no mess, no evidence. Use a pillow, or a tight ribbon or something. But if you can't manage that, just your claws would be fine. Or, if you're too queasy about committing murder with your bare hands, your sword would work just as well…" He had brought his trusty katana, Tetsusaiga, along, just in case, but the simple thought of murdering this girl in cold blood was unnerving.

It wasn't that he had never killed someone before, or that he was a chicken and was afraid of bloodshed. Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers, had fallen to the extraordinary power of his sword. Many other demons no longer walked the earth because of him. But this, this was different. It was one thing to kill someone during a battle, while fighting for your life, but killing a human while she slept, and an innocent girl at that, seemed a bit too ruthless and bloodthirsty. Too much like something that Sesshoumaru would have no trouble doing…

At that thought, Inuyasha gritted his teeth. "Feh! If that idiot can do it without any qualms, so can I! Besides, she's probably just another one of those stuck-up, spoiled, stupid princesses who can't even spell her own name. I'll be able to take care of her, easy as pie," he assured himself.

He glanced up once again at the tower, then shifted his gaze to the sky above him. By now, the sky was nearly completely dark, since the sun had all but disappeared, and a chilly, brisk autumn wind swirled around him. Inuyasha thought nervously to himself, "_It's almost time…_" 

As if right on cue, the forest behind him became totally silent, and he felt the transformation begin. His amber eyes seemed to glow as bright as the missing moon, before he closed them and allowed his body to change. He felt the strong, rushing demon blood in his veins weaken, slow down, then dwindle away, leaving him with a sense of weakness and vulnerability. The furry ears on top of his head started to slowly shift downwards, changing as they moved, until they stationed themselves right where a normal human's ears would have been. He felt a slight ache in his nerves as both his fangs and sharp, knife-like claws disappeared, leaving him with blunt teeth and fingernails. His long hair waved slowly around with the breeze as it, too, changed. Starting at the roots, Inuyasha's silver-white strands darkened to gray, then a midnight blue, and finally to a startling shade of black. The tingling sensation in his body died away, and Inuyasha let out a pent up breath, and sighed. It was complete. He opened his now-violet eyes. Now, time to get to work.

Removing a strong, thick coil of rope from around his waist, he glanced cautiously around, making sure for the last time that no one was around before starting the operation. Of course, since his demon senses had disappeared along with his claws and fangs, even an elephant would have been able to sneak past him without being heard. That was one of the major drawbacks of turning human. Not only did his usual powers ebb, leaving him with the strength of a newborn puppy (no pun intended ^_^), but his senses were also dulled, so that his exceptional sense of hearing, keen nose, and sharp, far-seeing eyes were all but rendered useless during the night of the new moon. He hated how weak he felt as a human; he hated himself for holing up in his room on that night each month and feeling miserably scared. But, shaking those thoughts from his mind, Inuyasha quickly ran out from the cover of the bushes and plants, darting from side to side, trying to stay in the shadow of the various things that stood around the tower. Even though he was no longer as quick as usual, he was still quite a fast runner, and reached the shadowy perimeter of the tower without making a single noise. Checking around again, he sighed with relief. Good. There weren't any guards posted here, or, if there were, they hadn't spotted him.

He looked up, measuring the distance that he would have to climb to reach the window. About thirty-five feet or so. It wasn't too far…as a half-demon, he would have been able to do it in less than 10 minutes. Fairly confident that he would have no problems scaling the wall of the tower, Inuyasha brought a small grappling hook out, tied it securely to the end of the rope, and hurled it upwards and towards the roof, praying that it would reach the top without any trouble. The metal hook whistled slightly as it flew through the air, landing against the flat roof with a slight metallic "chink." The once-hanyou tugged gently on it, and the small click indicated that it had fastened itself to the parapet. He pulled on it again, just to make sure that it wouldn't break, and that it would hold his weight. Then, he started to climb. 

The stone bricks were not perfectly aligned, with slightly uneven cracks in-between each one, and enabled him to place his feet firmly on the wall as he heaved himself upward. Using the stout rope to pull himself upward once he had gotten a secure footing, Inuyasha easily managed to climb about ten feet above the ground. But then the cracks and small steps in the wall disappeared, leaving him with a completely smooth surface of…was it marble? He couldn't tell, because it was now very dark. His bare feet slid against the cold exterior, scrabbling to find purchase, but to no avail. Without anything to cling against, his feet started to swing wildly in the air, moving his body further and further away from the wall with each wild swing that Inuyasha attempted to regain his footing. Cursing his bad luck, and the lack of proper shoes, Inuyasha continued to swing his body weight around frantically, hoping to bring his feet back near the wall so that he could continue climbing. He even tried to use his arms along to pull himself upwards, but unfortunately, his upper body muscles weren't as strong as usual (^_^ *drool*).

And suddenly, oh horror of horrors, his agitated movement dislodged the hook from its place above, and the rope abruptly became slack. As Inuyasha looked down at the ground, everything started to happen in slow motion. His arms flailed about, and his legs kicked helplessly, but it was as if they were moving through water, sluggish and slow. As the ground rushed upwards to meet him, scenes that seemed somewhat familiar flashed through his mind, and he suddenly felt as if he were drowning in a blue ocean. For some reason, he was struck with a strange sense of déjà vu, as if all this had somehow happened before. In the three seconds that it took for him to reach the earth, Inuyasha felt removed from his body, and it seemed that as he watched himself fall, all the moments of his life, in flashes of pictures, played out before him. He was not scared, nor was he afraid of death; rather, he was experiencing a feeling of regret, wistfully recalling his somewhat unhappy life, and wishing that he could have had at least one more chance to make it better. He wanted to go back, fix his mistakes, find some happiness. He knew, without a doubt, that no one would even mourn when he was dead. No relatives who cared, no friends who would cry, no family he left behind. The last thought that struck his mind before his body made impact with the ground was, "_I don't even have a mate…_" And then there was nothing.

Review please, people! I'm looking for at least ten reviews! And if you guys want to be like old mister Scrooge, well, then, "Bah Humbug" to you too! ^_^ j/k

Review Responses (6 reviews for last chapter! Yay! That's…um…two more than last time! ::sweatdrop:: )

LilyKitsune – Hi! Thanks for reviewing twice! Yes, I tried not to make Sess-chan seem too evil because he's really not…so Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru just have this sort of uncomfortable, brotherly relationship. Not positive and over-flowing with good feeling, but they don't hate each other's guts, either. (Well, actually, they still do, ^_^;; but just not as much…You'll find out the reason later, maybe)

Zel no Miko/Javeska – Thank you so much for the correction! I knew that…Of course, miko is a Shinto priestess…and you would know, since that's your name…but anyway, thanks! And you're so encouraging that your review makes up for the 10 more that I'm still missing, but supposedly "deserve!" ^_^ Arigatou!

Cashmere – Okay, I updated! Happy? ^-^

Ann – Oooohh, I can't tell you! If I did, that would give away the whole plot of the story! Nyaaahh! j/k Actually, though, do you honestly think I would let Inu-chan kill poor Kagome? Of course not! They're meant to be together… ::sighs dreamily:: But as to what Inuyasha will do with Kagome…well, you'll just have to wait and find out! ::grins wickedly::


	4. If at First You Don't Succeed, Try and T...

Disclaimer: Yes! I own Inuyasha!!!!!!! Actually, I don't. Sorry to disappoint. -_-;;

Author's Note: ::Pout:: I was going to wait until I had ten more reviews…but I only have three! So sad! No one likes my story anymore? :( Waaaahhh!!!!!! But anyway…I posted this chapter anyway, since I'm nice…So: Yay! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all! ^_^ Think of this as a Christmas present from your favorite author… Hope you enjoy! Please review!

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

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Chapter 4

Pain. All he could feel was pain; the sharp needles that jabbed incessantly into his back, and the liquid fire that raced through the veins of his chest and legs. Every single part of his body ached and throbbed, pulsed and pounded. Even his hair hurt. Funny. The only part of his body that didn't seem to be hurting at all was his right arm…there was a soothing numbness there that cut off all feeling from everything below the elbow. He cracked open his eyes carefully, first one violet eye, then the other. Staring into the almost pitch black space around him, he tried to turn his head towards the right.

That single movement brought such a second wave of pain that Inuyasha almost felt as if he were going to faint again. He clenched his jaw tightly to prevent himself from screaming, and looked at the dim outline of his hand, which lay motionless on the ground. He tried to command his arm to move, but it, bent at a strange angle, seemed detached from the rest of his body. Oh, great, just what he needed…a broken arm. Sighing dramatically, he examined the rest of his appendages, making sure that none of his other crucial limbs were broken. Okay…it wasn't too bad, just one broken arm and numerous cut, bumps, and bruises. Of course, how was he to know, since he could barely move enough to test them? 

Well, now came the hard part. He had to get up. Well, obviously, since he wasn't going to lie there and wait until dawn, when there was the chance that someone might be taking an early-morning stroll and suddenly discover him… So, Inuyasha tried propping his good arm up in order to heave himself up off the ground, thinking that it shouldn't be too difficult. Boy was he wrong. As soon as he braced his left arm against the ground, another sharp stab of agony raced up his arm, making his whole head dizzy with pain. Groaning, he collapsed back down onto the ground with a wince. 

"_Great. I can't even get up off the ground…let alone climb that stupid tower again…What I wouldn't give for a ladder right now…and my demon powers back, too. *Sigh* I really am pathetic…can't even get into that girl's room, let alone kill her…Sesshoumaru is going to slice me into shreds if I go back like this. And I'll be ridiculed for the rest of my life…as if I wasn't being teased to death for being a half-breed anyway…_"

He thought about giving up and just going back, admitting that he was a weak, pathetic excuse for a half-demon, and letting his brothers' demons take over… But that would go against every principle he had ever followed, not to mention the way his pride and ego would be in danger of being trampled into a flat pancake if he acknowledged his defeat…Minutes later, he made up his mind angrily:

"_Feh! No way I'm going to just lie here and give up! I can do anything a full-demon can, and I'll be damned if I let a fucking tower stop me! Besides, it might the only way Sesshoumaru will let me become a full demon once I finish the job…I'll climb that tower and get into through the window, or die trying!_"

A few minutes later, Inuyasha was wishing that he had just died from the fall and broken his neck, for the pain he was experiencing as he tried to move was seriously causing him a slow, torturous death… Since it was only midnight, and he was still a human, his arm stood no chance of a speedy recovery, and every movement brought a fresh jolt of pain up his arm.

"Kuso!" He cursed, closing his eyes and allowing the pain to recede before moving into a half-crouch, using the wall as support. He turned around slowly, and looked up once again at the window before gritting his teeth and using his left arm to throw the grappling hook up into the air, praying fervently that it would hook onto something on the roof and stay. The rope he held in his hands became taut when he pulled, so he knew that it was relatively secure. He was about to bring his arm up to grab the rope, forgetting that it was broken, when he suddenly felt another knife of pain slice through his arm. He fell back to the ground, whimpering softly, caressing his right arm, which had now begun to bleed from his exertions. Rocking back and forth, Inuyasha finally managed to open his eyes again. He knew that he wouldn't be able to climb the rope with one arm dangling uselessly, so, searching around blindly, he found a stout stick on the ground, which he braced against his arm and tied tightly, using his blunt teeth, with ragged strips from his kimono. Then, carefully extricating the red shirt off of his arm, he wrapping it closely around his arm, forming a makeshift splint to keep it in place and to staunch the bleeding. 

Somehow, the dog-demon-turned human managed not to howl in pain as he grabbed onto the rope with his good hand, using his agile legs to boost him up the tower, moving slowly and stopping for frequent rests. Somehow, he managed not to let go of the rope, even though, at times, he slid downwards, causing fearful rope-burns on his palm. Somehow, Inuyasha managed not to fall, not to scream, not to do anything but climb determinedly upwards, panting heavily and biting his own tongue to keep from crying out. And somehow, through the luck that the gods bestowed upon him, or perhaps, just by his own strength and stubbornness, he managed to finally make it to the window that was halfway up the tower. 

Luckily, it had been left open, so Inuyasha swung a leg over the sill, careful not to wake up the occupant of the bed towards his right. As the rest of his body passed through the window, he felt a slight tingle run through his blood, and shivered, but attributed it to the cold air. Exhausted by the pain and movement, and light-headed from the loss of blood, Inuyasha slumped down into a corner of the room and closed his violet eyes. He was quite sure that when dawn came and he turned back into a fully-healed hanyou, the girl who was lying on the bed would still be there, and he'd have no trouble killing her. So, Inuyasha folded his broken arm to his chest protectively, took a deep, shuddering breath, and rested. Little did he know that he was soon to be proven wrong in his predictions when he woke up the next morning… 

Yeah…I know this was a short chapter…sorry! I'll make it up to you, I promise! My next chapter will come out really soon! (I better get more than just three reviews next time! ^_^) And I'm still working on chapter 27 of The Course of True Love Ne'er Did Run Smooth…

Review Reponses from Chapter 4:

SaiyanPrincess – Hi! Thanks for reviewing! Oh, and just out of curiosity: Do you like DragonBall Z? ^_~

Sapphire – Yep! You're right! I would never let Inuyasha kill Kagome! Of course, as to the kidnapping…you'll just have to read more to find out! ::wink:: Oh, and yes, I guess Miroku and Sango might be in the fic later on, …if enough readers want them to appear…(hint.hint) 

Cashmere – Wow! You reviewed again! Thank you so much! I feel so special! I'll try to make the chapters longer, just for you! ^-^ Merry Christmas! 


	5. The Healing Touch

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat, do not, own Inuyasha…

Author's Note: ::Sigh:: I only got 17 reviews so far…I feel so unloved… :( ::tear:: But since I already wrote this chapter, I decided to post it anyway, even though I didn't get as many reviews as I'd expected. I'll be going back to school tomorrow, so you probably won't be hearing/seeing no hide nor hair of me for awhile… Sorry if I posted this before chapter 27 of TCoTLNdRS…(Tell me you know what that stands for…) But anyway, here's chapter 5! I hope you enjoy it! Oh yes, and um…if you're a little queasy about blood and stuff like that…you might want to skim over the details of this chapter…

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

__

Chapter 5

Kagome woke up at around 1:30 in the morning, shivering, because the window had been left open last night. She couldn't see anything in the pitch-black darkness of her room, so, fumbling around for a match, she lit the small oil lamp by her bedside and padded sleepily over to her bedroom window to shut it. She was still so befuddled by sleep that it wasn't until she had turned away from the night sky and pulled the curtains that she noticed a dark shape in the far right corner of her bedroom. She almost shrieked in surprise, but luckily stopped herself from letting any sound from escaping except for a tiny "eep." Kagome tip-toed cautiously over to the corner, and gasped softly when the lamp shone upon the figure of a young man, not much older than she was, slumped against the wall. He was covered in so much blood, and didn't even stir when she knelt down next to him, that she was almost afraid he was already dead. But then she noticed the barely visible rising and falling of his chest, which indicated he was only sleeping. 

"He-hello?" she whispered softly, unsure of whether or not to wake the stranger in her room. She set her oil lamp down on the floor and examined him carefully. It was obvious that the black-haired boy was hurt, badly, although she could come up with no reason for why or how he had appeared in her room. But, even if she didn't know who he was, and what his motives were, it was her duty, as a miko, to heal and take care of people, so why not start now? "_And besides,_" she thought to herself, as she stared at his strikingly handsome face, "_I don't know why, but I feel as if I'd never forgive myself if I let him die…_"

So, Kagome gently extricated the arm that was wrapped in ragged strips of cloth, frowning slightly once it was unwrapped, at the dirty, tree branch that was tapered against the arm, a useless attempt at first aid. She had never actually had any medical experience before, other than blowing on Souta's finger when he had a paper-cut and kissing it to make it "all better." She smiled fondly at the memory, then turned her attention back to the young man's broken arm. It seemed to be in pretty bad shape…not only was it still bleeding profusely and covered in soil and grime, it also seemed to have been strained after it was injured, making it even harder for the bone to heal, if it ever did. The teenager recalled all the lessons in her book on treating injuries and sicknesses, given to her as a birthday present from her tutor, Kaede-sama. Hmmm…well, first, obviously, would be to clean the wounds and cuts, preferably using antiseptic, if she could find some. She didn't think it would be wise to wake the patient, since it would definitely hurt once she began to set the broken bone, and he'd be better off asleep, or even unconscious, than awake.

So Kagome quietly searched the bathroom cabinets for something that would be able to cleanse the wounds and prevent infection, but she couldn't find anything at all. She shrugged mentally. "_Well, I guess I'll just have to make do with ordinary water. If they get infected, …well…We'll cross that bridge when we get to it._" She carried the softest clean white cloth she could find, a bottle of pure, distilled, drinking water, and some bandages over to the corner. Holding her breath, Kagome dabbed gently at the arm, wincing sympathetically when the boy tensed and a flash of pain flew across his face. She tried to alleviate his pain by blowing gently on his cuts, just as she used to do with her own little brother, years ago. He calmed down, and seemed to relax, so she continued to alternate between cleansing and soothing until the skin was as clean as she could make it. She didn't know why she was expending so much time and worry for a most likely dangerous stranger that had mysteriously appeared in her room in the middle of the night… It was as if she was acting on an instinct, like some deep, previously buried part of her heart had awakened and was now urging to take care of this vulnerable, pale and injured lad. 

She stared helplessly at his arm, which lay limp in her lap. Now what? She really, really didn't want to hurt him, but she knew that without proper medical attention, there was a chance that the arm would never fully heal. But who was she to deal out medical help so casually? She, Kagome Higurashi, fifteen-year old _former_ daughter of a merchant, had no skills whatsoever to boast of, beyond useless arts such as painting, calligraphy, archery, and spiritual powers. What use were her so-called "powers" when she'd never been taught anything regarding them, beyond how to…Wait! That was it! She could use her miko healing powers to re-set the broken bone without driving the potential risk of accidentally doing something wrong and unwittingly causing more damage. And that way, she could also avoid causing any unnecessary pain for the boy as well as extra heartache for herself, and, at the same time, save herself from becoming squeamish. 

Great! Then it was settled. She easily recalled the old, cracked voice of Kaede-sama, who had taught her everything she knew about using her miko powers to their full potential. Running through her instructions inside her head, Kagome made sure that she could do everything. Of course, she wasn't too overly nervous. Although broken bones were not trivial matters, they were not too serious, and easily healed. And as Kaede-sama had intoned, again and again, healing with magic was all about will. With a strong will, you could put enough force behind your powers to do practically anything…and Kaede-sama had said that Kagome possessed one of the strongest, purest hearts that she had ever seen…

Kagome took a deep breath and, kneeling down, laid her cool hands lightly on the arm, careful not to apply any pressure or hurt him. She closed her eyes, and felt her other senses extend outward as she did so. It enabled her to suddenly hear the slow breathing of the boy sitting across from her, smell the spicy scent of the falling leaves outside her room, and feel the small light hairs that covered the arm that she was supporting. Concentrating, she searched deep inside herself for that ever-present fountain of magic that was at her command. Allowing the liquid power to flow through her veins, she exhaled and inhaled with a slow, calm rhythm. She trusted in her inborn miko instincts to guide the powerful spiritual residue through her body, and directed it, with nudges and pushes, towards her extended fingertips, which were resting lightly on the person's arm. If there had been an onlooker present, he or she would have observed a light pink glow suffusing her body, and seen an almost solidified blue light pass through the young miko-in-training's fingers before disappearing under the skin of her patient.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed as she gently probed the broken arm with her extended spiritual senses. Then, she wrapped strands of blue light around the broken bone, and, carefully, tugged the two ends toward each other, commanding them to fuse back together. Slowly, hesitantly, the bone began to re-grow, as if her healing power had sped up the process of regeneration by tenfold. She reached inside for more power, and fed it steadily into the other person. The bone continued to heal, rejuvenating itself with incredible speed. Kagome was starting to feel a trifle dizzy, because of the huge amounts of energy that were being drained out of her, but she gritted her teeth determinedly, and thought, "_No, I can't stop yet! I'm not finished! I have to heal his arm, then the rest of his body, too."_

Using the blue stream of magic that continued to course through her fingers and into the boy, Kagome finished healing the broken bone, and began a new task. The sapphire threads of light wove themselves in between the torn tendons and muscles, coaxing them to grow back together just as easily as it had done with the bones. The tender flesh inside his arm slowly also began to reform, moving together and coalescing into new skin tissue. Blue fibers of her spiritual power flooded through the whole arm, working and healing until the entire arm was as good as new. If the young man had been awake, all he would have felt was a soothing, cool touch linger on his skin, then spread, tingling, all throughout his body. But as it was, even as Kagome poured her magic through his veins and allowed it to spread to the rest of the inner bruises on his body, all he felt in his sleep was a lightly, tickling sensation that cooled his blood. And the healing touch of her magic lulled him into a dreamless, peaceful sleep, even deeper than before, if that was possible, and he did not wake, nor stir. 

Kagome reopened her eyes with a soft sigh as she returned to the physical world. Her senses dulled, and she could no longer feel anything except a dull emptiness in the place where her magic had resided. She had drained herself of her miko powers for the night, by unconsciously using more than she could afford to lose all at once, and on her first try, too. Nothing that a couple nights of good rest wouldn't be able to replace, but she probably wouldn't be able to do a simple spell for at least the next twenty-four hours, now that she was utterly drained. All she wanted to do at the moment was sleep, so she rose up from her knees, which were numb from the length of time they had spent in the same position. The young woman swayed precariously, clutching her head, as she stood, for the dizziness was now stronger than ever, making the room appear to spin. Placing a shaky hand on the wall to steady herself, Kagome looked at the silently slumbering young man by the corner. Fighting to stay awake, and leaning against the wall to prevent herself from falling, she was able to fetch a spare blanket from the closet and drape it gently over him before she stumbled into her soft bed, sighing as her head met the pillow. With one last glance at the boy, Kagome, completely exhausted, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

So…didya like it? I know that healing using her powers isn't exactly one of the typical "Kagome-like" things to do…shooting purifying arrows and stuff seems to be a lot more common skill among Inuyasha fanfics. But it can't hurt to be original, right? And in this AU fic, Kagome has the power to heal…So deal with it, okay? Review and let me know what you think! REVIEW! (No flames, please! ^_^) 

Review Responses for Chapter 4:

Cashmere ~ Merry Christmas to you too! Or should I say, Happy New Year! It's so nice of you to review for every chapter… Thank you so much for your encouragement!

Spike the Magic Monky ~ Thank you for reviewing! Yep, I feel so sorry for poor Inu-chan. Always gotta make him suffer…But don't worry! ^_^ He'll be alright! 

Ann ~ Hee-hee. ^-^ Not only is Inu-Yasha _one_ of my favorite anime characters, he _is_ my favorite anime character! :) But anyway, I'm glad you like my story! Keep reading n' reviewing!

Sketch ~ Hope I made it long enough for you! I tried, honestly I did…Unfortunately, there really isn't any Inuyasha-Kagome dialogue in this chapter, but I promise you, next chapter is where the fun really starts! ^_~ 


	6. Awakening

Disclaimer: Inuyasha does not belong to me. He belongs to Kagome…lucky girl… :( ::teardrop:: Oh well…

Author's Note: Once again, I have deserted _The Course of True Love Ne'er Did Run Smooth_ so that I could come out with another chapter of this which no one wants to read. I still only have 22 reviews for this…so sad! Well, anyway, this chapter has a bit of humor, and a teensy, weensy tiny dose of fluffiness. So, I hope you like it! Read on! ^_~

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

Chapter 6

Have you ever been asleep early in the morning, but still feel as if you are awake? Your brain can function and all your senses tell you that you're already awake, but somehow you know that your body is actually still sleeping. All you can think about is the fact that you should wake up, but you can't. It's a strange sensation, almost as if you're dreaming, because you can see and hear everything, but you can't move, and if you try to move your hand to push your blanket away, it just ends up passing through empty air. 

Inuyasha was currently experiencing this bizarre predicament as he tried to get up. He could see that he was in a nice, averaged-size bedroom and covered with a relatively thick, warm, blanket. Likewise, he could easily "turn his head," in a sense, and see that there was a rumpled form of a slumbering human lying on the bed. However, beyond that, he was helplessly trapped in his body, unable to do anything but see and hear. Come to think of it, for some reason, he wasn't actually hearing or smelling anything either. Although the mornings after the new moon, Inuyasha was usually struck by an almost overwhelming but relieving wave of sounds and scents, he didn't sense this sudden change at all this morning. In fact, he almost felt as if he was still human, but of course, that couldn't be… 

At that moment, he glanced at his shoulder, and caught a sideways glimpse of his black bangs. Wait-BLACK?!?!?! The shocking realization that he was still a human, jolted his brain enough to enable his body to fully wake up, and Inuyasha leapt up with a startled, almost canine yelp. As he pushed his blankets aside, he almost subconsciously noted that his right arm still ached when he moved it. That, too, was puzzling, because as a hanyou, his arm should have healed completely, but as a human, there was no chance that the bone regrew all by itself during the night. Mortal bodies were impossibly slow at regeneration. He scowled lightly at this predicament, forgetting, for the moment, about the girl that was still sleeping on the bed. 

Why hadn't he turned back into a demon? This would certainly call for a sudden change of plans. Without his claws and fangs, he couldn't kill the girl. He also couldn't hold his sword with the full power of Tetsusaiga, because his right arm still hurt. And even if he did manage to kill the girl, he would die if he jumped out the window as a human. So what was he to do? Stay in the room and pretend that he didn't know why he was there when the girl woke up? _I guess that'll have to do. And then the moment I figure out how to turn back into a demon, I'll kill her._

At that moment, while Inuyasha was trying to figure out how to approach "her," "her" decided to wake up. With a tired yawn and a flutter of eyelashes, her cobalt eyes flew open. The first thing she saw was a pair of stunning violet orbs staring straight back at her. With a soft gasp, Kagome bolted upwards in bed and did the only that that seemed sensible at the time. She screamed. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!" The high pitched shriek pierced through the calm silence of the morning, scaring a pair of sleeping robins out of a tree branch outside. If Inuyasha had been a hanyou, he had no doubt he would have gone deaf by then, but as it was, an unpleasant ringing remained in his head for a couple of seconds after he clapped a firm hand tightly over the mouth of the frightened girl.

"Damn it, bitch! Are you trying to wake up the entire fucking neighborhood or something? Shut the hell up, willya? My ears are fucking ringing because of you!" He uttered in a low, fierce whisper. Oops. There went his whole chance of charming her into cooperation. Darn it. When would he ever learn to keep his big mouth shut for once? He glanced at the girl. Her blue eyes were wide with shock, but she didn't seem as scared as he had expected. Now, instead of screaming, she was glaring at him though making no move to try and escape his grasp. He sighed. This would never get him anywhere. He spoke quietly, trying to reassure her by showing that he posed no threat.

"Promise that you won't scream when I remove my hand?" The girl nodded quickly. He did so, cautiously removing his hand and tensing in preparation for another ear-splitting scream, but she kept her promise. Instead of screaming, she opened her mouth and started berating him. 

"What did you just call me?!?! A bitch?!?!? How dare you – you rude, ungrateful boy! I just saved your life last night, and this is the gratitude you show me?" She huffed angrily, and glared at him with her stunning, cerulean eyes, as if daring him to contradict her. Inuyasha's mind took a second to process the information. She was the one who had healed his arm? That sort of explained everything, except for why he was still a human in the first place. But he decided that now that the girl was awake, he might as well try to get on her good side and act innocent. After all, frightening her into submission obviously wouldn't work…She was still facing him without a trace of fear, brilliant fire flashing in her eyes.

"Uh- Where am I?" He asked, pretending to be confused. This sudden change in attitude seemed to calm the girl, but also brought her back to her senses. 

She inquired, "What are you doing here?"

He countered her question with another. "Who are you?"

She frowned, and replied, "What's _your_ name?"

"What's yours?"

"Not telling."

"Fine, then I'm not either, until you do!"

"But I want to know!"

"So, I asked first!"

"Too bad, I still won't tell!"

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!" 

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

"No!" Pause. 

Triumphant smirk from Kagome. "Ha! I win!"

"Hey, no you didn't! That's not fair!" Inuyasha cried out.

"Yes it is, I won! Nyahhh!!!" Kagome replied smugly, making a face at him.

Inuyasha pouted so cutely that the girl didn't have the heart to tease him anymore. She giggled. Wait- stop! What was she doing? Was she crazy?!?! Trading silly arguments with a total stranger, and a boy nonetheless! She had never been so comfortable around anyone her own age, but this young man just seemed familiar and casual, as if they'd known each other for years. She suddenly stopped laughing. Inuyasha noticed her sudden tenseness, and panicked.

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Ack! No, she's going to start questioning me again! Quick! Try playing on her sympathy! A flash of pain flew across the boy's handsome, unmarred features, and he clasped his right arm to his chest with a wince. Kagome immediately noticed, and rushed to examine it.

"Oh no!" She cried worriedly, "Is your arm still hurting? I tried to heal it last night but I guess I must not have been doing a good job because I was still kind of sleepy. Let me see! Is it bleeding?" She gently took his arm away from him and pushed the red sleeve up, revealing his bare arm. Although it looked healed, she was taking no chances, and so carefully prodded along his wrist and up to his elbow to determine whether or not there was still anything seriously injured. This time, the young man didn't even have to pretend that it hurt, because it did, and a low hiss sounded through his clenched jaw. 

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you?" She cried, alarmed.

He shook his head slightly, and replied with a bit of difficulty, trying to keep his voice careless, "It's okay. It just hurts a bit. No big deal." The miko's brow furrowed as she caught the tiny spark of pain in his lavender-violet orbs. She shook her head. He wasn't "okay." She could tell. She didn't know how, but she could tell that he was lying. 

"Hold still for a sec, okay? Don't move." Taking a deep breath, she once again reached inside her inner reservoir of spiritual power. It was only a small, flickering candle of magic now, although it was still burning brightly. She had indeed exhausted herself last night, and really shouldn't be using her powers now, but she couldn't just stand there and watch him suffer, could she? 

Inuyasha watched, amazed, as the aura of the girl began to expand and glow a soft rose pink color. And he almost cried out as the first thread of blue light streamed out through her fingers and diffused into his skin. Who, or what, was this girl, and what was she doing? But as soon as the light disappeared beneath his skin, he immediately began to feel drowsy. Strange, he thought that he had felt rather refreshed when he woke up that morning…Why were his eyelids threatening to droop close again? Suddenly, he felt a slight tingle inside his arm, and her cool touch moved away. Flexing his arms carefully, he was surprised to note that they no longer hurt or ached. In fact, they felt better than they had in a long time!

"Woah…" he said, speechless, as he looked with newfound respect and amazement at the girl. She looked a bit pale…"What did you do- Hey!" He shouted in alarm, for the girl that had been kneeling with closed eyes suddenly swayed precariously towards him and fainted. "Oof!" He said as he caught her in his arms. "Hey, girl, wake up! Hey, you! Are you all right? Say something, wench!" He shook her lightly, while trying frantically to feel for a pulse. Pressing his fingers lightly against her neck, he breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her pulse beat steadily against his fingers. 

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Whew. At least she's alive… His mind didn't stop to question why he wanted her to be alive when his whole purpose for being there was to kill her. Sighing, he gently placed her on the bed and pulled the blanket over her prone form. "Keh. I don't know what's wrong with you, but you better wake up soon so that I'll be able to get some answers out of you, okay?" He asked gruffly, pointing to his healed arm as he looked at the unconscious girl. He felt slightly foolish for talking to her as if she were actually listening, but shrugged, and sat back down in the corner to keep an eye on her while she slept. _I don't even know her name…_He thought silently… 

A/N: So, do you like it? Huh? Huh? Do you? Personally, I think Inuyasha's a bit OOC, but I don't know…Please review and tell me! This really isn't a very interesting place to leave the story off at, but it's the best I can do…See review responses below! Arigatou!

kAoMi ~ Yep, your intuition is staggeringly correct! Of course Kagome won't be killed by Inuyasha! That would just be horribly cruel to all my readers! (As if I actually have any…-_-;;)

Minako-chan ~ Well, I updated! Hope you like what happens when Inuyasha is awake! Do you think he's in character? 

Ann ~ Kagome is just that type of kind-hearted soul that would do something like that, ne? And, yes, I suppose you could say that she is still in danger…But I can't you tell any more or I'll give away the rest of the story! ^_~ Thanks so much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked my fic!

Crystal phoenix ~ Wow! I'm honored! Do you really like my story that much! ::gasp:: I feel so loved! :D I'm glad that you review every chapter, it encourages me to write more! Keep working on your fic! Ja!

ScratchesTheCat ~ ::Sigh:: Yes, you do have a point there…I guess the only reason I'm able to respond to your reviews is because I don't have that many to respond to! ::tear:: So sad! Thanks so much for the encouragement! Do you think I've made Inu-chan too soft in this chapter? Please let me know! And yes, Sango and Miroku will probably be present in this fic sooner or later, but for now, the spotlight's on my favorite couple, Inuyasha and Kagome!


	7. Inquisitive Inquisition

A/N: Ohayo everyone! ::bows profusely:: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated for awhile! Been busy… ::mutters angrily towards the stack of homework on her desk:: Well, I made this an 11-paged chapter to make up for it! And yes, I'm still working on chapter 27 of my other fic… It's being difficult… But seriously, to all my reviewers who are about to strangle me for procrastinating, I swear that I will post chapter 27 some time before May, if that's any consolation… -_-;; So anyway, enjoy the chapter! Please review!

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My Lady Miko

~ by Four-Eyed Bookworm

Chapter 7

After about an hour, Inuyasha was getting worried. The girl still hadn't woken up. He didn't know whether she was merely sleeping, or whether or not there was something seriously wrong with her. The way she was lying there, barely moving except for the slight rise and fall of her chest, her serene figure looked kinda…dead. _No! I can't think that! I know she's not dead! Not that I care anyway!_ He added to himself, with a soft, scornful "Feh!" added for good measure.

He was actually deeply puzzled with himself. Not only had this girl willingly saved his life once, but she'd done it again, twice (well, the second time wasn't mortally threatening, but still!), at the risk of her own health, or so it seemed. He sighed. It was confusing. She was confusing. The whole fucking situation was making him confused. 

He'd rarely ever associated with women before, most of the female youkai who worked for or with Sesshoumaru – which was the only reason they'd be found in that house – held themselves to be above lowly hanyou like him. They'd either ignored him or teased him, but either way he could feel the thick waves of condescension rolling off of their bodies, and his pride wouldn't allow him to endure their incessant taunting. 

So, why was this girl so different? She seemed so friendly, so accepting in the short time that he'd known her…Of course, it was probably only because she didn't know what he really was… If…well, _once_ she found out that he was a hanyou, a lowly, miserable, disgusting half-breed, she'd probably cringe away from even touching him… (Not that he cared or anything.)

But still, whatever had induced the girl to heal him, a perfect stranger who could be a danger to her life? And twice, no less! Was she just plain stupid and naïve? …Or was it because she was…different, somehow? Inuyasha was brought out of his reverie by a soft moan from the bed. He immediately leaped to his feet and rushed to her bedside, staring anxiously at the girl for any signs of awakening. She seemed to be experiencing mild discomfort or unease, for her face was scrunched up, her brows furrowed, and she was tossing about restlessly.

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A bad dream? Inuyasha thought to himself. He hesitated, then placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder in an attempt to wake her up. His touch immediately took effect in calming her down, and the black-haired girl smiled faintly, before becoming still. Her eyelids fluttered once or twice, then flew open to reveal a stunning pair of depthless blue eyes that were the color of the sky on a clear, spring morning. 

Kagome bolted upright when she saw him, then seemed to gain a bearing on her surroundings, for she took a deep breath and said, "Whew…That was scary. I dreamed that this old man with white hair and claws was trying to kill me…" She shuddered. 

Inuyasha flinched. Had she been dreaming of him, as a hanyou? How was that even possible? Was it just a coincidence? 

He shook the thoughts from his mind and said gruffly, not meeting her eye, "Feh, it was probably just a dream…You okay?"

The girl broke out into a weary smile at his concern. "Yes, I'm fine. Just tired myself out from the healing, that's all. Sorry to worry you…"

Inuyasha was about to break in and claim that he hadn't been worried, but that would have ruined the "good-boy" image he was trying to create for himself, so he merely shrugged, and forced himself to give her a casual smile.

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you, uh…" He trailed off, not knowing how to address her.

"Oh, how silly of me! We forgot to introduce ourselves! My name is Kagome. I'm pleased to meet you," she began formally, starting to move form her bed so that she could bow properly to him, as was the custom that her tutors had instructed her to follow when greeting someone politely. But as she stepped out of bed, her shaky legs would not support her, and she nearly crumpled to the floor. 

Luckily, Inuyasha's quickly reflexes instinctively urged him to catch her before she fell, and his strong arms steadied her before guiding her back to sit on the edge of the bed.

Both embarrassed, they looked away from each other, awkwardly, before Inuyasha began uncertainly, "Ah…Nice to meet you, too. I'm Inuyasha. I was just wondering, what exactly did you do to my arm, to heal it, I mean?" He gestured to his arm, deciding to go along with being courteous in order to ease her suspicions. 

Kagome started to explain, starting with when she first found about her miko powers, to a detailed summary of the healing process that she used to mend his broken arm, and what other effects her powers had. She didn't even think that it might not be a good idea to tell her life story to this total stranger (though she did know his name, now.) 

The thought never crossed her mind to doubt that he was trustworthy, for she had always been brought up in a peaceful environment where one's words were taken for granted to be honest and true. She felt at ease around him, and though a small voice in the back of her head insisted that she didn't know a single thing about this Inuyasha who had suddenly appeared in her room, she automatically felt drawn to him, like a magnet.

Inuyasha's mind was working at a furious pace. _Shit! That's why I haven't turned back into a demon! Her miko powers, or whatever they're called, have placed a seal on the demon half of my blood! She didn't know she was doing it, but I figure that's probably what those powers were intended to do…I'm lucky I'm only half-demon…If she'd tried to heal a full demon, she'd probably have burned them from the inside, out! Now what am I going to do? Sit here and hope that the magic will wear off sooner or later? What if I wait for awhile and end up never turning back?!? Or even worse, what if I turn back during the daytime, while she's watching? Would she be able to call her guards or whatever before I…killed her? If I do stay here, what do I tell her about myself? How would I explain how and why I'm up here? Damn it! This is the biggest mess I've ever gotten myself into, ever!_

He wanted to tear his hair out for letting himself get into such a predicament, though it was _entirely_ not his fault, but noticed that Kagome was waiting for him to answer a question. Having completely missed whatever her inquiry was, he stuttered foolishly, "Uh…sorry, what'd you say, again?"

The girl smiled easily, seeming not at all annoyed. "I was just asking where you came from. You know, since you know my entire life story now, I probably bored you to death, but, well, I want to know about you." 

Seeing as there was no way to untangle himself from the situation, Inuyasha hesitantly began to tell his story. He edited parts of it and made up other sections along the way, trying to form a fabricated tale that would convince Kagome that he was trustworthy, as well as come up with a reasonable explanation for how and why he'd gotten into the tower.

"Um…well, you see, my father was a…pure-blooded… aristocrat… from an old, well-respected family. But when he married my mother, who was his second wife, all the other…old families rebelled against his love for a…common woman, so they killed him, and later my mother too, after I was born."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out, genuinely saddened by the loss of his parents. She took his hesitance as unwillingness to relive the tragedies of his past, so didn't think it suspicious that Inuyasha found it so hard to tell the story of his life. She placed a comforting hand on his arm, as if to offer her silent condolences for the orphan. Just when Inuyasha thought he'd be let off the hook for now, she asked softly, "Um…so if you don't mind telling…who do live with now?"

"My older half-brother." He answered abruptly, relieved that he didn't have to come up with another lie, but unwilling to have his mind dwell on the past unhappiness of living in his brother's house.

"Oh, well…that's nice of him, isn't it?"

"No, the only reason he does it is because that was my father's last request before he died. My brother hates me for being wha- who I am…and he constantly treats me like shit. The only reason I put up with his damned oh-I'm-so-much-better-than-you attitude is because it's the only place I can stay. All the other families think I'm below their notice, so I can barely even wander beyond the family grounds without being ridiculed…for being the son of a common woman."

"Oh…" Kagome whispered softly, a bit shocked at his sudden anger, but also pitying him for his plight. She then perked up and changed the subject, asking brightly, "So what brought you here? Come to think of it, how did you get here?"

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Oh shit! What do I say now? "Ahh…well, it's rather complicated…There's been an on-going feud between all the ful- I mean, families of …noble blood, and some other group of people that I know nothing about… So they've been pretty violent the past few days…and I was on a…journey through a nearby city with the people in our household, when the other side recognized us, and started attacking us. I managed to escape by…um, climbing, you know, onto the roofs, but some of the others tried to chase me, and one knocked me off onto the ground. That's how I broke my arm, and got all my other wounds…" He finished, with an inward sigh of relief. At least he'd come up with a dependable alibi for how he'd broken his arm…though how he'd managed to get up there was certainly still going to prove to be difficult to explain.

Luckily, Inuyasha was prevented from having to explain himself any further, because a low rumble of hunger came from his stomach. He blushed, embarrassed, but Kagome's face lit up as she exclaimed brightly, "Oh! How rude of me! I forgot to ask you, are you hungry?" 

"Uh…yeah."

"Would you like something to eat? I still have some leftovers from yesterday's supper. It's not much, but you can have it if you're hungry."

"Yes, I'd love some. Thanks." The boyish grin on his charming, handsome face sent a flutter through Kagome's stomach, but she merely eased herself off the bed and headed towards the kitchen. Inuyasha followed closely behind, pretending to be casual while he watched with a hawk's eyes for any sign of weakness, with arms ready to catch her if she fell again.

The young miko stopped in front of a medium sized wooden cabinet. Upon opening it, Inuyasha could see that it was an ice-box, with neat blocks of ice stacked up along the sides and the bottom. He gaped soundlessly at this new convenience. Wow, how rich could this girl be? Even his family, while not exactly "aristocratic," was wealthy enough to afford most objects of comfort. But an ice-box?!? That was reserved for royalty!

A medium-sized container was brought out from the ice-box. Kagome dumped the contents into a small pot and placed it over the fire to heat. As she stirred the leftover food, Inuyasha began to sniff appreciatively at the warming smell of Oden. It wasn't as good as Ramen, but hey, you take what you get, right?

Kagome had just transferred the steaming food onto a plate when her entire body froze at a sound. Inuyasha's human ears also picked up on it.

"Lady Kagome! Your breakfast is here!!! Shall I come and bring it up to you?" Hojo's youthful, clear voice rang through the morning air, right below the tower window.

So… cliffhanger! What will Inuyasha and Kagome do now? ^)^ You'll have to wait to find out! Okay! That's it for now! Let me get two things straight here: Kagome has miko powers, but in this AU fic, her powers are different from the one's usually described: Shooting bow, sensing Shikon shards, etc. Second thing, for those of you who think Inuyasha is being too nice, remember that he is pretending to be a human, and he needs to watch his mouth so that he can gain her trust… Okay? Bear with me here, please! All right, now, shout-outs! ^_^

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js_tikiman ~ Thanks for the encouragement! Yes, I sort of realized that Kagome's life seems rather similar to Kikyou, but there are still some major differences between the two miko's that will be revealed in the future. Anyway, this is an AU fic, so it's not as if they're supposed to have similar lives… I'm glad you liked my story! ^_^ I guess I shouldn't expect that many reviews, and be happy with the ones that I receive! Arigatou!

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Crystal phoenix ~ Yep! Finally, an update! Sorry if the chapter was too short… I tried to make this one longer to make up for it. Hope you like it! And by the way, I often do that as well when I'm too lazy to sign in properly… ^_~

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Uncia ~ Sorry if this last update took waaayy too long! Hope you haven't given up on me and my poor fic! I'll try to write/type faster next time! Thanks! ::falls over dead from exhaustion:: -_-

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ScratchesTheCat ~ Yep! You are absolutely right! I'm exceedingly grateful for your reminder that there are some people out there who do care about me. Thanks so much for reviewing! ::glomp:: I hope my explanation for Inuyasha's delayed transformation is satisfactory. Let me know if there's anything about his character that needs tweaking! Of course, he is trying to play the part of a nice, normal, polite human for once, so you can't expect to see our adorable, usual, jerk with puppy-ears for another few chapters yet. Until then, be patient, and keep reading! :D

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Minako-chan ~ What is it with everyone thinking that my chapters are too short? Well, maybe they are, but I hope this one kinda makes up for it! ^-^ Inu-chan's such a softie, ne? But you know that we all love that big tough-guy act of his! lol You'll be getting some more fluff soon! Don't worry! I'll try to update as soon as I can!

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Paul Powell ~ Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it! I promise to do my best with this!

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